Forget Me Not: Love Accomplice Edition
by Sunrise-Breaker
Summary: A companion fic to my other story, "Wasurenagusa." This story focuses on five of Julia's guardians as their actions and decisions determine on what is holding for the daughter of an old Pokémon Champion and the journey she'll be forced to take.
1. Preface

**Greetings, and thank you, reader, for taking the time to read this. In case you have no idea what this is, it's a preface, not just an author's note, so no, don't report me, since in literary terms, a preface is usually a part of the book; a free space wherein the author can give light previews of what was the original intention and interpretation of the circumstances inside the story.**

**Anyway, thank you for reading the track story 'Wasurenagusa.'**

**If you stumbled on your way here without knowing that, I recommend reading the 'World and Sky Anthology' first which consists of the stories: "Dispensable World" and "Resilient Sky", then 'Wasurenagusa' before reading this at all.**

**This story is essentially a side story prequel (or sequel, depending on interpretation) called 'Forget-me-not, Love Accomplice Edition' of 'Wasurenagusa.' **

**There is a double entendre in there. In Japanese, the transliteration of the word 'ai' without the character can mean many things, like a type of sweetfish. What the 'ai' that was meant to portray in this story was both the meaning 'love' and the more sinister 'accomplice.' This fanfiction story depicts moments and emotions of love of any kind, as well as the darker side, with participation of the accomplice, since love is always a two-way street.**

**At the end of this story, see if you can figure out the themes of each chapter and return here to the preface to see if you guys got it right, but I will give you some hints. This story is five chapters long, not counting this preface and the preview, and the main characters are five of Julia's fifteen guardians selected randomly, in short, the ones involved in a contract wherein the name of which will be revealed in the fifth and final chapter. Each of them has some form of issue or hang-up that traces to two key factors: Misty's 'departure from the living world,' and her decision to seal Julia away from the world's knowledge. These decisions will soon enable and force Julia to embark in an unusual Pokémon journey that defies any means of convention and caution.**

**See if you can figure it out. I'll put the interpretations below, of course, but then, you have to figure it out yourself first as I update along and get to the final fifth chapter, only then can you read below. I will be placing a line to prevent accidental peeks, of course, but the temptation is still there, so if you spoil yourself, well, then that's your fault. Tee hee… Also, about why humor is a genre, it's not really straight out laughable humor, but the kind of humor that is applicable in irony, but you need a good eye to find the embedded bittersweet situation. Without further ado, commence to reading the next chapter (do not read below this line until you finish all five chapters).**

**Just as a precaution, all the interpretations will not be uploaded in one go. Instead, it means that for every update, this preface will change as well, that the bottom content which contains the spoilers, will only be updated every time a chapter is uploaded. For example, I uploaded the first chapter, and below are the spoilers and interpretation, but you'll only see the first one, and it'll add up as I upload.**

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**I repeat, do not read beyond this point until all five chapters have been uploaded, and you've read them.**

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**Interpretations – **

**First Chapter: The trigger here was Misty's decision to seal Julia away from the world's eyes. Though the chapter plays more importance within James' role as a father as well as his son's character development, the real focus is that Jessie patterns her maternal instincts into overdrive. Seeing as how she grew up basically motherless since Miyamoto might've died in an avalanche and she was passed on from household to household, and even had to eat snow. When Misty gave birth to Julia, she was both mother and father for seven years until marriage was proposed to the heiress. Jessie initially saw this as admirable, and secretly envied the younger girl for her upbringing and yet excelling at maternal skills, so she was driven harder to be a mother, while at the same time staying at Team Rocket to find any leads about Miyamoto, something that James was clearly aghast and severely against. When Misty met her tragic fate and Julia fell into depression, having become a puppet of her own patrician and noble family, James was clearly disconcerted, fearing that their son would suffer the same fate. After a long struggle and a lot of fights, Jessie finally relented, around when Julia was nine and forcibly incarcerated by her own relatives in Ransei, and became a doting mother. The irony was, eventually, she doted far too much, and Junius had a hard time trying to even get out of the house to be a Trainer, when Jessie herself was motherless. Whenever he does return home, he can only expect to be put through hell and back by his beloved smother…er…mother instead of actually talking excitedly about his adventures like most sons would do and make their parents proud.**

**Second Chapter: The trigger here was Misty's "tragic fate." Sabrina is more open to all relationships and ties, all except two, romance and friendship. As seen in Wasurenagusa, Sabrina foresaw of the destiny that would befall upon her friend, but backed out on warning her, as it was fated, though for some reason, decided to save Julia. Still, when it happened and she dropped subtle hints for Misty to be careful, she developed a guilt complex, especially as she was the one who sealed Julia's memories of that fateful day far beyond the poor girl's subconscious. As stated, Sabrina has an aversion to romantic relations and keeps friendship at a distance despite being more open, which is ironic in itself, but the driving point is her current fling's developing one-sided love for her, with her refusing to see the plain truth in her eyes. With Misty's "perfect uptown life" in shambles, her disappearance from the world have eventually served as the coup d' grace for Sabrina. It is said that the psychic had been far too biased for her friend's happiness that she predicted wrongly on the fate of Misty's family life, thinking that it was true happiness for the orange-haired heiress, and when that balloon popped, well…**

**Third Chapter: The trigger was Misty's decision to seal Julia away from the world's eyes. The scene in the beginning is at a relaxed pace, clean air, green grass, etc. a clear contrast to Tracey's inner turmoil. With Daisy abandoning her family name and fortune for him, he is skeptical and hesitant because he felt that he couldn't provide the luxury she was born in bred to. With the twins around, he felt even worse because he felt that by being born under his name and family register, he deprived them of their birthright. He doesn't want to lose Daisy and his family by pretending to be a terrible husband and father and divorce her so she can return to fortune, so he uses another alternative, which is bury himself in work so he can buy the best things for them. Notice how the sketch in front of him is actually there, he has time to do his hobby, but passes off the idea of playing with his kids to a Pokémon rather than do it himself. When Misty died and Julia was left alone with no one to turn to because she was essentially, "a secret", he works harder to make sure his children feel loved and taken care of, but he's doing it wrong even if his heart is in the right place. Daisy seems to understand this, and loves her husband all the more for it, knowing she picked the right man for his devotion, but she wishes that dedication is directly aimed at their kids instead of a roundabout way that would give them everything but their father's attention.**

**Fourth Chapter: The downfall was both the sad providence of the Tomboyish Mermaid and the silencing of the unknown daughter. Erika is noted to be missing for all throughout the chapter, although the state of overgrown vegetation in her gym can give hints as to what was happening. There's far too much nature that it can be called "wilderness." The picture in the frame by the table side shows significance of illusions of hope and renewal, and the note behind the frame that shows it has began to chase after an impossible dream. It is highly unusual that The Nature Loving Princess who has always been known to snooze actively believes what abundant evidences says otherwise and is acting on it above all, and seems to be looking for something, rather someone, although who "she" is not to be revealed yet, I can honestly say "she" is not Misty. Interpretation and literary entendre aside, this chapter shows that Misty was involved in a clique with three other girls "a la Sex and the City" although the fourth one is clearly not one of Julia's fifteen guardians. As to that person's identity, it has yet to be revealed, but the hint I can give is that she'd probably fit in more with the Sensational Sisters than Misty herself, and for the reason that why she is not one of Julia's guardians, try not to think too much on it, it's actually a lot more mundane and trivial than you might think.**

**Final Chapter: History. This doesn't actually have any ties to any of the two factors, but a glimpse to the origins of the _Mushoku no Keiyaku_ agreement from the eyes of one of the participants, Forrest (Jiro) Harrison, Brock's younger brother. It also reveals the circumstances of Julia's birth. There is no interpretation here, just a brief flashback, as well as a slight peek into the world dynamics of this fanfic.**

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**Thank you for taking time to read this small fanfic. Please wait until the posting of the main story. Until then, indulge in reading the Sky and World Anthology, and Wasurenagusa again.**


	2. The First Legal Guardian

**Hm~ Try to guess who else are Julia's guardians aside from the five I provide, okay? I guarantee you, you'll have a hard time guessing, simply because a bigger chunk of them are not within this story and won't appear until the rising of the main story.**

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**1****st**** Legal Guardian: Jessie/Musashi**

"Happy birthday, Jubei-kun."

"Yea, dude, another year close to finally being a man. Fifteen already, huh? Just five more years, and you'll be recognized as a legal adult by the State. Way to go, June. Happy birthday!"

A boy with lavender hair and blue eyes in the middle of it all huffed, but smiled and mock-punched the shoulder of his friend who greeted him with the salutation. "Don't call me that! It sounds like a girl's nickname. Call me Junius, or Jubei, dammit."

Above them by the alcove of the atrium, two adults stared at the celebration down below. Jesiie gushed at the sight. "I'm so glad we Jubei-kun decided to celebrate his fifteenth birthday here. We hardly get to see him anymore since he went on that awful journey. I have half a mind to lock him in his room forever and just let him out to eat, you know?"

Meanwhile, James had a different reason to smile. 'I really don't think that's a good idea, love. If that boy is anything like me, he won't want to get incarcerated against his will. He's also a bit of a flirt, but I can see that he's always been a free spirit. I've seen it since he was ten. That was before he went away for his journey. He'd make a great Pokémon Champion someday, if he can beat the twerp, that is. He really seems to be peeved that when he got home, a big wall of gifts was blocking the way to the door. I know I would be, and I'd prefer a small gathering. At least he doesn't know yet, and if Jessie doesn't do anything, he'll be a lot happier that way.'

A gasp of surprise came from below, and the patriarch looked, aghast that most of the gasps came from the guests of female gender, and the reason why they were shocked. 'It seems I spoke too soon. Love, what have you done? It's already bad enough you made this into a swanky, formal affair when he didn't want it, but this…'

Down below, Junius glared at the offending present. In front of him was a box. A velvet box, that opens when the lid is tilted upward. It was obvious what was in the thing, and the shock and clamor caused a lot of murmur among the girls, wondering who would be lucky to receive it in turn and be the consort of the heir.

James looked at his wife, wondering what was going through her head right now. She was animatedly chatting with the other women on the floor. He would've reprimanded her for the present, but he suddenly heard her talking about it, and he listened in to the grating voices, trying to wait for his wife's opinion on the matter.

"What a maaahvelous gift, dearie, and so young too. Your son wiiii simply be the object of adooooration among the ladies, and there are so many candidates to select and vet. Dahling, you ah simply a genius. One is nevaaah too young to have grandkids and heirs to their fortune."

"You flatter me, countess. Ohohoho, but I must admit that I didn't plan it. I only snuck it in as a gift. James' parents were the ones who decided that Jun-kun must choose a fiancée by now. They decided that instead of being like his dad were the arranged marriage failed, they'll let him be a free man and explore his options among the young ladies he was bound to meet and select to marry when he's finally all grown."

James resisted the urge to facepalm and do anything unbecoming. 'Of course. Mumsy and dad would want the heir to marry. They did it to me, and now that Junius is old enough, they changed tactics and are doing it to him, and now Jessie's on the bandwagon."

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Everything that could've gone wrong that night, all of them nearly went wrong, the only thing that would've made it worse if something like a band of marauders or pirates and murderers stormed the place. Fortunately, it didn't. Unfortunately, the second worst thing that could possibly have happen did happen: the wrath of the birthday boy.

After that escapade with the engagement ring, Junius tried to calm his nerves with birthday cake and casual conversation with some of his guy friends. He couldn't approach any girl without being in the line of fire, and those who he had thought as just friends made it clear that they had an ulterior motive of being interested of taking their relationship on an upgrade. He had never lost so many friends in one night, most being girls, and the others, guys who were interested in the girls that were interested in him. It was a birthday disaster.

When his temper was about to snap, he had asked his parents for Meowth. The little lavender-haired man-child loved the Pokémon; after all, Meowth is his first friend. It was a terrible blow when Jessie said that Meowth was probably busy spending time with his new girlfriend, another Meowth. The boy's mood took a turn for the worst, and if that wasn't enough, she had asked him if he liked his birthday present. He answered with a question on why it was even there in the first place, and she answered in a larky manner that now he's set for life and won't have to worry about anything else. He has many _miai _coming his way and all of the candidates are ladies just as noble as them, if not more so, and probably a lot wealthier.

At the very least, instead of losing his cool, Junius asked to be excused from the birthday dinner. Jessie was hesitant at first, but then James mouthed toward her that he and Junius would have a heart to heart talk later.

Later that night, James walks by his son's room, knocking. He was rebuked by a whiny "Go away! There's no one here." 'Wearing a bikini and fake boobs was so much easier than talking to an adolescent.' He stood there, waiting for the door to open. It never did that night, and the sounds of wall punching and angry grunts contrasted with the lively voices from the party.

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**Lots of trouble, eh? Junius is another OC, named after the month of June, and after a samurai, respectively in accordance with the way Julia is named, and the way his parents were canonically named: with "J" in English and a legendary warrior in Japanese.**


	3. The Second Legal Guardian

**The second chapter of the side story. This chapter is actually unexpected, because I never imagined Sabrina as a "legal guardian" type of character, but then her current dominant personality is her "nice, flaky" one from EToP. I was planning on finishing off the "Forget-me-not" Anthology by writing the epilogue, but I figured that it would be more fitting to get this chapter done because it would explain the peculiar behavior. I think you guys might also see more of this. When I finish this side-story, I'll finish off the "true" Forget-me-not Anthology after, and then it's all systems go to the main story =3=**

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**2****nd**** Legal Guardian: Sabrina/Natsume**

The dry autumn leaves were carefully gathered into a pile. The _miko_ stared at said small pile of leaves before her, proud of her hard work. They were so few today, for she was responsible in carefully picking out the leaves every day and raising shrubs that weren't likely to color and fall off even in the last days of autumn.

The sun was still high in the sky, but Sabrina didn't feel hot despite being dressed in full ceremonial robes. She made a show of it by wiping imaginary sweat from the crease of her forehead. The cool fall wind made her even doubt that the material she wore was enough to keep her warm. It's days like these that bring a calm air about her, and she reminiscence all on her own, from her days when her parents weren't really the best, to when she strayed over to Team Rocket, and finally encountering a certain Trainer and began turning her life around for the better…or at least, as best as she could with that embarrassing stint at stardom when she was in Unova. Boy, that was unpleasant. 'I wonder how that paparazzo is doing now?' She briefly recalled the reason that she ended her movie career.

She had made the camera implode in his face when the paparazzo stalked her to disturbing levels. She terminated her acting contract the next day in favor of returning to the temple (and sweet privacy). Of course, Sabrina was already famous by then, so she couldn't escape from that, and if she wasn't busy, she would agree to take on freelance acting jobs back at the studio, like her last role as a talking soccer ball (don't ask…).

'Ah! It's getting colder. I have to remember to prepare some tea or cider and later and to pray.' Sabrina relaxed her head against the pole of the broom **(1) **and gave a casual wave of her hand. "Alakazam, please go play with some spoons. I'll finish up here. Haunter, please go check the purity of the shrine's water. Hurry, I know for sure it's about to rain soon even if it's sunny now." She laughed at the pair's antics and thanked them with a smile while the two Pokémon went off to do their duties.

Before a hand can snuggle its way into her _haori_, she clutched it before it even so much as touched the white cloth, and snapped the broom in two with her mind as a threat. The owner of said hand smiled and she let go with a huff. "Jeez, you did the same thing last time. I didn't even need to foresee the future to know that." She said it with a soft serene smile, albeit, with a hint of apprehension and weariness. "There aren't any _matsuri_ being celebrated anytime soon. So, why are you here? If the head priest saw you, heads will roll. He doesn't like it when anyone patronizes with any of the temple's shrine maidens."

"Do I need a reason to visit my favorite girl?" He chuckled. She cocked her head to the side with another smile, noting in her mind how he looks good with one of his rare positive moods. "Aww, you're happy to see me too? I knew you'd miss me." Sabrina returned the statement with a half-hearted glare. "Okay, okay, you got me. Actually, I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to drop by, see if we can have a chat at lunch, my treat?"

"You're in Saffron, you little unholy freak of nature." She slid her voice with disdain and irritation, but he knew that she meant no malice, and he ruffled her hair instead. She gave him a pat on the chest and pushed herself away although her next response has a sarcastic bite to it, felt her unpleasant personality as it started to surface. "Yeah, you, my colleague, and my rival. I don't date. That's what I told them, and that's what I'm telling you." Her sweetness began to crumble, and she knew it. 'I have to get out of here. It was such a pleasant day. Please, please, I want you to go away.' She thought.

"This isn't a date. This is lunch."

Sabrina knew her pleasant mood and cheery façade has crumbled. It was too late to go inside and avoid this…this…whatever this was. The sound of thunder got closer, and she miserably hoped it would stave him off. She hoped that she can still salvage some of the situation before she starts to remember unpleasant things. "That's a lie. I have been surrounded by perverts during my days in Team Rocket; I can obviously tell when I'm being asked out on a date. And even if this wasn't a date, it'll lead to one, and soon we'll be having dinner, having a rendezvous in the Rondez-View, and having trysts within my room here at the temple and defiling holy ground. I'm not ready for romance, ever, and as much as I love my parents now, I don't want to be one; I don't want to have psychic warriors or clairvoyant babies or even little starlets. If however, that is an invitation for friendship, can you wait here until I'm free in, oh, say, three hours from now?"

'Ah, there it is.' He knew that she knew. He didn't come here for lunch, but to confront her. How long have they known each other that for a time, they walked side by side? But the reason was still unclear to her. And he hoped that he threaded the ground carefully as her spiel and tirade ended with that snappy question. He didn't let on though, and his mind wasn't so clear to decipher for the psychic, he made sure of it. Instead, he smiled. "Natsume, we're friends. If I were asking you out on a date, I'll tell you about it directly, because skirting around it is not my style. I know it isn't any of my business, but you already confided in me; don't you think someone else's failed relationship isn't something to guard yourself against love?"And there it was. The cursed L-word. He never really was one to beat around the bush…almost every time, anyway. He did just lie after all. He never got to think this through when he felt a jab on his chest.

Sabrina looked distressed and angry, the broken stick of the broom now lay on the ground with a small pile of leaves. "How…how could you!? That relationship cost me a dear friend! I was so biased for her happiness, I failed to see the obstructions in the way because of my pride." She disliked it whenever her personality reverted to back what it used to be. She despised being unstable, but she hated it more when someone brought up her past mistakes to her face. Her emotional outburst was unstoppable then and there. "It wasn't only her who ended it all." Her body shook, and she clutched at him to support herself from falling, while she tried to look at his eyes. "Everyone she knew, him, the love rival, his friends, her sisters, EVERY ONE, had a hand in it, even me. Look at her now, she's gone from this world, and her daughter was taken away with no one left to turn to because the poor girl's a bastard, literally. I should've adopted her, darn it!"

It only took one sentence from him to bring her to tears and bawling at his chest. "I see that you still haven't let it go…"

"I will never forgive myself for this, never! How can you be such a good friend to me when I've abandoned another?" Her fists started banging against his ribs, and her tears started to soak his chest, or was that perhaps the rain falling from the now gray sky? How ill-fitting. She couldn't let him go as her tears fell to the now wet ground and dissolved with the rain.

The rain became slightly stronger, and his vision was impaired by the water falling, but dismayed anyway when he sensed Alakazam and Haunter out here looking at him with irritation, obviously thinking that he had made their mistress cry (and didn't he?). He couldn't do anything now, and couldn't relent at this bad idea of coming here and asking her for a lunch date. He sighed and spoke his words softly with a venomous and aching bite on his throat, like a struggle to let those words out. "Yeah, I'm such a good friend…" He left her with a peck on the crown of her head, surely knowing that it was so chaste that she didn't feel it in her anguish.

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**1 – Yes, a broom, not a rake. For some reason, whenever I try to imagine cleaning up leaves in a Shinto Shrine, I'd think of a broom instead of a rake. Please correct me if I am wrong.**

**All good things come in threes. Hahaha. Like Misty, I hinted that her fiancée and Julia's stepfather is a brunette, with brown hair. The ideal candidates I presented were Danny, Rudy, and Georgio, with whom in the anime she had a chemistry with, although I noted to you guys that it can be anyone at all up to you, even some OC (as long as they have brown hair). However, opposite of Misty is Sabrina, who also has 3 admirers even if she tries to dissuade them. The ones I had in mind are Morty, Kiyo, and Brycen, hence the "baby trio" combo. I wrote that Sabrina said "you, my colleague, and my rival" and all three fit that description of the latter two. A mystic/psychic dynamic duo, a body/mind idiot couple, and a hot "it" item for the tabloids to have a heyday with. Who Sabrina was talking to could be any of the three; but only within those three, no other characters.**

**Explanation and views are posted in the Preface.**


	4. The Third Legal Guardian

**Hi everyone^^ Read and Review please. It's been a hectic week, and that's life, am I right? Well, Que Sera Sera, or was it something else? I've been focusing so much on part-time work and school, hahaha. Well, money has to come from somewhere, right? Anyway, without further delay, on with the story!**

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**3****rd**** Legal Guardian: Tracey/Kenji**

Tracey looked at the final draft of his new sketch. The black stencil lining bounced off in contrast against the white paper; it looked incomplete without layers and shadowing. He finally released a sigh and gave up, and put down the sketchpad on the glass table in front of him. He covered his eyes with his hands and groaned in frustration, trying to block out the sunlight while staring at the unsure blue sky. He was tempted to tear the sketch in half, but felt a sharp peck against his shoulder. "_Itai_! _Nande yo_? Eh? Swellow? Shouldn't you be playing with the twins?"

He held out his left hand, where the flying Pokémon perched next after its talons dug and scraped at the apprentice's skin. Tracey petted and rubbed the head of the Flying-type, and let the gesture keep him relaxed. He felt a bit tired, with the sun beating down on him, and the warm wind lulling him to sleep. It was enough to let anyone mumble and ramble like a drunk, only less intoxicates. So ramble he did. "For a couple of one year olds, they're a lot more active than I give them credit for. Still, those two seem to know that Julia is missing. She always loved playing with the kids. To think those three already forged a bond in less than a year…"

"Well, honey, they wouldn't be lonely if you would just have one day to put down that lab smock and your sketchpad and play with them instead."

Tracey snapped out of his reverie, shocked, and nearly fell out of his chair. "Eh?! Swellow, did you just talk to me?"

"No, that'd be me, dear." Daisy entered the scene with a graceful walk and perched her own hand on her hubby's left shoulder, "although you shouldn't be surprised. Didn't you face Jessie and James with their talking Meowth when you were with Misty and…that guy…" The last part was spoken with venom, and tension filled the air, although Tracey was quick to dispel it.

"Yea, it's impressive too. Meowth isn't even a Psychic-Type, so there's no way he could communicate through telepathy, and lip-syncing is hard to pull off, so he really could speak for real. What happened to those two anyway?" Tracey briefly tried to recall about them, but the last thing he could remember was that Jessie had a child and James had prepared to take over his duties and that whole noblesse oblige crap while he also corresponded with Delia on the condition of her son. 'Wow, I'm so out of touch. That was, what? Like 5,6 years ago?'

Daisy's face softened up at the clever divergence. "Tonight is Junius' fifteenth birthday, remember? Lily and Violet went, but we couldn't go because we can't find a babysitter."

The artisan-apprentice sagged in his chair and Swellow flew away to the area of the yard where the twins were playing. "You mean we can't find one who we can actually afford without sacrificing our vacation budget. You also couldn't go alone without me because you sold all your gowns when money was tight.

He was dismayed with his family's current financial security. They were clearly middle class, but the pressure was just terrible. His career as an assistant professor and part-time artist barely managed to scrape by enough money during the first two years of their marriage. Daisy gave up her family fortune, and the only reason they managed to rise above poverty was simply because of her gigs in stardom. It didn't help that they had kids sooner and she had to take maternity leave and then took leave, nearly terminating her contract, to engage in housewifery (they couldn't afford a housekeeper, and she didn't trust her precious babies at the hands of a stranger). "I'm really sorry, Daisy. I don't know why you even settled for a guy like me, whose name doesn't even have one mount of prestige other than one of Professor Oak's wards. I swear to the Legendaries, _iie_, not only the Legendaries, but to all the gods from the other worlds too, that I'll work harder to get us out of middle-class and get you back to the top."

Daisy chuckled and patted his head. "_Koibito_, you forgot that I didn't just settle for you, but I love you too. You didn't think that I turned down more eligible suitors too, did you? They might be richer, but they'd have made terrible husbands because they didn't have your dedication and devotion. That just shows your strength of character. Why do you think I fell in love with you ever since you helped us repair one small thing?" She hugged him from behind, and he smiled contentedly.

"I love you too."

The blond smiled and pecked the crown of his head as well. "Now, will you play with the kids?"

He rubbed the arm that embraced him, and stooped forward to get the sketchpad lying on the table. "In a moment, I just need to finish this sketch. If I add in a bit more detail along the stencil, I might sell it for a tidy but good sum."

Daisy sighed and went over to the kids, but not before turning back one more time. "All right, dear, but remember, the kids want their father to play with them too."

"Yes, dear."

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**That was a short chapter, but I think it's enough. You guys might want to try to analyze this one, because the message here is hidden really well unless you guys have some sort of sixth sense or whatever. It's there, but it's subtle. The interpretations have been posted within the Preface, but try to figure it out first. Go read and review.**


	5. The Fourth

**Hmm, I think things are starting to progress, although I admit that it is progressing faster than I would've liked. It's going to be a train wreck, but I can somehow salvage it, hopefully. I lost track of how many legal guardians were revealed and were part of Misty's pact or agreement (name is revealed next chapter) concerning Julia's secrecy, although I have a distinct feeling I already revealed more than the intended five in this story. I certainly hope not; that'd take the fun out of figuring out all fifteen now, wouldn't it?**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, nothing was ever mine, with the exception of some occasional OC.**

**Remember the three R's: READ, RATE, REVIEW**

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**4****th**** Legal Guardian: Erika**

The overgrown forest spindled and spun everywhere, and there wasn't a clearing with no vegetation in sight. The sound of rotting wood colliding with the earth was loud, a bit too loud. The "forest floor" was concrete, a literal urban jungle. And the surroundings were shards of glass, strewn about like straw and dry grass. The glass wasn't ordinary, but looked ornate, and had been sculpted and molded with writing and art, as if it was meant to contain something beautiful when it was still whole and complete.

If they were picked up, no doubt anyone would get wounded, but if that aspect was passed and forgiven, time can be taken to observe and "smell the flowers." How fitting, for were not those glass shards bottles of perfume containing lingering scents of nature and long-forgotten love? It would've been enough to make anyone shiver in excitement and anticipation. But wasn't that what it was all about; that love can drive anyone mad, and any form of love, but how it was expressed, recognized, and how it mattered made all the difference.

For that moment, it didn't matter. The shards and the concrete floor were abandoned, and for how long, ah, who knows? The unkempt and disarrayed vegetation had yet to penetrate and shatter the sun roof, if that was any indication.

It would've looked untouched too; the keyword was "would've." It's subtle, nature had always been wily and tricky, trying to preserve the eternal beauty, to make up for its incompletion, but the perception could not be fooled if it were sharp. There was indefinite indiscretion within that abandoned "forest." Knife marks were about, nearly covered by moss and leaves, but they were there, and it was so unrefined that it was clear it wasn't intended for pruning plants that started to grow out of control. There was also black disguised by dark green, soot and dirt, disturbing scorch marks. There are no Pokémon around as well, just vegetation.

It hadn't spread out too much that a wall could no longer be seen. A façade of a wall, a man-made structure, although the sun roof gave that away. It was far too recent, more recent than assumed. A good amount of the structure stood solid still, and the furniture touched with vegetation, but barely to sustain damage other than moisture.

There was something that happened there, separately. Both were connected, yet disjoined and separate, a dichotomy that shares a purpose, but different outlooks and goals. A small back story that cannot yet be told, but what transpired is unclear; all necessities are gone, and everything else was left untouched and deserted.

One object did not come to any harm, unnoticed by the merciless knives and burns. It was a picture frame set on a table drawer. Within it contains an immortalized moment of peacetime that was lost, and will never be the same. Four girls smiled, as if unaware how their lives were destined to change anyway. Etched on the frame were the words "Friends Forever", perhaps an overbearing cliché, but one admirable and treasured, or used to be anyway.

A stray draft blew over, and finally, the frame fell under the predictable command of nature taking over when left alone too long. A strip of paper flew out, but nobody has been there to know, not until someone tried to know what happened and what had to happen. The faded writing that was there had said, "I've gone to look for her."

* * *

**Erika didn't really appear in the chapter, but everything else was an indication as to who it was. I was tempted to conceal her identity and just place a "4****th**** Legal Guardian: ?" up there, but decided against it. If you're thinking about who Erika was looking for, some sort of deux-ex-machina to explain away Misty's death or Julia's abandonment, stop right there.**

**Who Erika was looking for is not Misty or Julia, but someone else entirely. As a writer, I certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to write a cliché about some heroine looking for her dead best friend who she still thinks is alive, or the lost daughter of said friend. It's just overbearingly cliché, stupid, and so unoriginal. Misty is gone from that world, and Erika has accepted that Julia must be taken away to Ransei with no contention whatsoever. More explanations in the preface.**


	6. The Fifth: The Last

**The delay last week was caused by this chapter, see? I had a hard time which of the remaining 11 legal guardians should I reveal next; that, and this chapter is basically a tell-all on the world dynamics of the fanfic I'm working on. The explanation as to "world dynamics" is explained below. **

**=/A/=**

* * *

**5****th ****Legal Guardian: Forrest/Jiro**

**History…**

_10 years ago, July 18…_

_Lola Harrison clutched at a piece of paper and she read it fast while she tried to resist the urge to crumple the paper and squeal in delight. The weekend approached, and the contents of the letter couldn't have made her week any better. The same can be said about her children who surrounded her._

_The door opened, and the twins of the brood tackled the new arrival. Forrest was on the floor in two seconds flat. They quickly scrambled away when they felt how sticky and gross he was drenched in sweat, no doubt battling Pokémon Trainers who wanted the Boulder Badge. He looked at them and asked why they were happy, and the rest of the siblings answered simultaneously but incoherently. Forrest chuckled at his siblings' antics. "One at a time, one at a time, all of you. What's got them so excited, mum?"_

_Lola smiled at her second oldest child, pleased when she handed him the letter she held in her hand. "Actually, honey, I think you'd be happy with this news too. Brock's coming home at the end of the week and is staying for a month. He didn't say why, but isn't it wonderful that your brother is coming back home after being unable to visit for holidays because of his career?"_

"_T-the end of the week?! But that\s today!" Forrest felt ecstatic and pumped his fist into the air. "No way! For real, mum?"_

"_Yes, it's for real." Lola rolled her eyes and smiled ruefully at her son. She knew how he missed Brock, and while there wasn't any outward tension, Forrest had a hard time adjusting when he was thrust with the responsibility of Gym Leader. He looked up at Brock with some sort of mild hero-worship. It's to be expected, because Jiro has always looked up to Takeshi._

"_Oh hell yea!"_

"_Forrest! Watch your language_

"_Aww, mom, I'm already a teenager." The young man whined._

"_Even so." She glared sternly while gesturing her hands to his obviously younger siblings._

"_Aww."_

* * *

_Later that night, Forrest was pacing by the door and fuming. "Where is he!? It's already night. I was hoping he'd get here sooner and tell us all everything. I thought aniki said he's returning today? Forget it. Mom, I'm gonna go to Viridian and see what's taking nii-san so long. If he gets here while I'm not here, tell him that I'll knock the rocks off his head for being late."_

"_Sure dear, have fun, and try not to be too rough on your brother. I'm sure there's a good reason why he's a bit late. But try not to worry too much too; he never said what time he'll be arriving, or even the day, just 'end of the week.' Maybe he'll be here tomorrow instead."_

"'_Kay, mom." And with that, he was out the door._

_Minutes later, he was in Route 2, glaring at the imposing gate that led into Viridian Forest. 'I don't have time for this crap! I didn't even bring a flashlight with me. Screw the long way, I'll take a shortcut. Looks like mom and dad's present will come in handy after all. Kabutops, go!" He took out a Poké ball and sure enough, the ancient 'extinct' Pokémon came out at the behest of his Trainer. "Kabutops, use CUT on that tree! We're going to take a little short cut."_

_After the tree was cut down, he had Kabutops return to its Poké ball, and set foot on the eastern path. He felt really miffed, scratch that, pissed. Whenever Brock would actually come by to Kanto to return home, he'll always have a detour in Pallet Town to visit an old friend. Forrest didn't really mind, and while he couldn't remember the name, he remembered that his brother's friend was a well-rounded and all around decent Trainer who is good to his Pokémon, if a bit naively ambitious. 'Although it's common sense that he should come home to his family first instead of some friend he hasn't seen in a long time. Nii-chan, when I get my hands on you, we're going to have a good long talk.'_

_He continued walking until he saw a canopy of trees that led west. 'Perfect, a shortcut.' Not even five minutes later, he tripped on of all things, a rock. 'Tch, ironic. A Rock-Type Master tripping all over his own element. If the League found out, I'd be a laughing stock. Damn, where am I anyway?' He took out a flashlight from his pocket, and cursed when it wouldn't light, a sign that he carelessly forgot to change the batteries. It wasn't s surprise he tripped on another rock soon, only this time, to collide against a tree._

_He struggled to balance himself and ignored the slight concussion. It took a good minute until he regained footing and deemed the path unsafe, ready to turn back and be dismayed. 'Ah, crap. I'm lost. Nii-san, this is your fault!'_

_He continued walking for what seemed like two hours, although it was really only two minutes, until he found a light at the end of the woody, over-vegetated path. "At last, Viridian City!"_

* * *

_Not later than five minutes, he was lost. 'What the hell?! This isn't Viridian City. This isn't even any city on the map. Where am I?' He was lost, irritated, and tired. That was never a good combination. Even his aim-to-please and normally friendly (especially to the opposite sex) couldn't diffuse his current mood. But for the sake of his brother and to finally get home, he swallowed it all down._

_Seeing no other way, he walked around the very bright and metropolitan city and tried to find an Officer Jenny to help him and lead the way. After a fruitless effort and not finding any familiar blue-green haired officer of the law, he relented to ask a local resident and approached a nearby man who was busy texting on his phone._

…

_The man laughed and scoffed at Forrest, as if he had made a joke. Forrest did not see what was so funny and felt a vein pop, but squashed it down. "You should know! This is the capital, where the emperor lives in the imperial compound, and where commerce thrives." At those words, Forrest was annoyed and disconcerted, but ignored the former. 'He'd have no reason to lie to me. He's a stranger I'm asking directions from. Did I stumble into another region or country by mistake? Maybe a neighboring country?'"Sumimasen, but, again, what region am I in, or country for that matter? This doesn't look like the capital."_

_The older man was clearly starting to get irritated, but tempered it down down. "You're in the Kanto region. You just spoke our language, didn't you? How could you not know the country you're in? Where do you think we are, America?"_

"_I don't think Lt. Surge would be too thrilled to let me know I went to his country without letting him know so he can talk my ear off like a patriotic fangirl."_

"_Lieutenant who?"_

"_Lt. Surge, the Gym Leader of Vermilion City, the Lightning American who owns a very tough Raichu and is merciless to Pokémon Trainers who want his badge?" If he really was in Kanto, either the man before him was stupid, or just after a fight. Forrest was far too tired to try and put up with it._

_The same can be said for the man he asked. "'Gym Leader?' 'Badge?' Kid, I think I'd know a man by the name of Surge who has a Raichu around since I am from Vermilion, but I don't have any idea who or what you're talking about. I suggest you get yourself admitted into the hospital before I sic my own Electric-Type on you into shock." He looked at the young Harrison as if he was crazy._

_It didn't help that Forrest himself was tired, pissed, and something of a poor loser and easily annoyed after his run-in at tripping rocks and grime."Try it, old man. I'm a Rock-Type Gym Leader, so you can't beat me."_

"_I still don't know what a 'Gym Leader' is, but fine, care to put your money where your mouth is?" _

"_Bring it!"_

_In the span of ten minutes, the two combatants managed to draw in quite the crowd, or rather, a mob that kept shouting and jeering, as well as injured each other. Forrest suffered minor burns from electric shocks, while the other man suffered from non-lethal wounds when "rocks were thrown" at him. It was an urban street fight that was bound to get out of control. Fortunately, someone in the mob must've had enough common sense when the timely intervention of a police officer halted the violence from escalating. The officer was male and not a bluenette, which just added to Forrest's confusion."Alright, you two! Break it up or I'll take you both in for questioning without even taking you to the hospital for your injuries."The two stopped at the command, although Forrest eyed the officer curiously, which unnerved the poor man. "What?"_

"_You don't look like an Officer Jenny."_

_The officer barked at the young Rock-Type Master, "Do I look like a girl to you!? I don't even know anyone in the force named 'Jenny.'"_

"_Oh…" At this point, Forrest just gave up before he got into any more trouble. He was clearly lost and probably ended up in some sort of weird dream and knocked out in the dark forest path he decided to cross. 'I hope to Arceus that if they do find my body, it's still identifiable. Either that, or I'm insane.' He followed the officer as he led them through the city streets to the hospital to get their wounds sterilized and sewn. The night felt cold, and the moisture seemed to cling to his clothes. A fog eventually enveloped them._

"_Yeah, that's been happening lately. We don't really get too much moisture here, so it's weird and the kids are spreading all sorts of urban legends around it. Some say they even see the silhouette of a Legendary Pokémon near the hospital, where we're going."_

_Forrest nodded his head stiffly in response, creeped out on the sudden humidity change. After a few minutes of walking, he asked the officer how he knew where they were going when it was impossible to see ten feet past. The law enforcer's response was that he knew the district well, and that they were nearly approaching the general hospital. Forrest heard something and looked toward the direction where it came from. What he saw was a silhouette on all fours that's shaped like 'Suicune? Is that Suicune? What's a Water-Type Legendary doing in the middle of a city? Granted, it's a weird city with weird people that claim we're still in Kanto and that this is the capital, but that's doubtful…or am I really insane that I'm starting to see mirages through fog?' Not wanting to question his own sanity if he went off the deep end, he focused on his injuries and softly touched one of the burns on his arms, and winced as they climbed up some steps._

"_Well, gentlemen, here we are. After we get you two treated, you will be detained for questioning. You have the right to remain silent, yadda, yadda, yadda and all that shit."_

_The three walked through the sterile corridors, until they hear shouting, a voice that Forrest found too familiar._

* * *

"_What do you mean the kid's born blind and won't live past one day!? You guys are doctors, do something! I'm just a Pokémon Doctor, but I bet even I could cure whatever is ailing a newborn baby."_

"_Sir, calm down, or I will be forced to sedate you! The child is underweight, and she has Retrolental Fibroplasia; it's only expected since it's just the 27__th__ week. It'll take a miracle from the Legendaries themselves for this child to actually live past a day, let alone a month or a year."_

"_Son of a-"_

_The ranting was interrupted by a shout from a third-party. "Nii-san!"_

_The poor doctor's antagonist turned around, and Forrest ran right to the man with an angry look on his face, all the while being chased by an officer of the law. Brock was shocked to see his younger brother and forgot his relatively dangerous anger. "Forrest!? What are you doing in this dimension?"_

"_What do you mean what am I do- wait, 'dimension?' Is that why nobody knows who Officer Jenny or Lieutenant Surge are? We're in a different world? I really am going crazy! My imaginary brother tells me that I'm in some other dimension made by my own mind."_

_Brock would've sighed at the ensuing confusion if he wasn't confused himself, but decided to forego it when he noticed the officer that tagged along with his brother approaching, and stepped in front to defend his brother despite the initial shock; all the while Forrest began to ramble in his own monologue. "Problem, officer?"_

"_Yes, this-this felon escaped from my custody after inciting a fight on the streets. See his burns?" _

_Brock looked back and winced when he saw the burns on his younger brother's arms, although grateful they don't seem grave and that they were in a hospital already. Sometimes being the eldest of a big brood has its advantages…and disadvantages. Brock didn't know what trying to keep his brother out of jail was. "Officer, I apologize sincerely for my brother's…uh, carelessness. He must've been looking for me although by his age he should've known to trust me that when I said I'd be home, I really will be home and I don't need anyone coming after me." He directed that last part with an edge towards Forrest, who still seemed to be in his monologue. "Officer, please let him go with a warning. This is his first offense, and uh…he's not really from around these parts." Definitely a disadvantage._

"_He seems to be speaking our language just fine."_

"_I meant he's from a different region. He must've gotten lost and stumbled into Kanto and the capital."_

"_Shouldn't he have a dialect then?"_

_The officer was obviously giving him a hard time. The elder Harrison hated to do what his mind planned as a last resort, since it felt wrong, but questions can be asked later, the problem must be dealt with now. He pulled something out of his shirt, presented a slip of paper, and mumbled something that suspiciously sounds like "by order of the imperial court" and "auto-immunity." The officer frowned and grumbled about how the seal looks authentic enough, but finally relented and slinked away with the other felon. Brock turned around to 'glare' at his brother, not paying mind that the doctor seems to be there, shocked by what just happened.. He gave up when Forrest seemed to go at 500 words a minute like a madman, and shouted towards the hospital room he exited minutes prior."Almond, can you deal with the doctor please? I have to go to Misty and tell her something really important about the baby, but first I need to talk to my otouto."_

_A man with dark hair emerged from the room with a blonde woman whom he affectionately kissed and fondly rubbed the belly of. "Go take care of yourself and the baby, Hazel. Seems that Brock got himself to some sort of mess." _

_The woman, known as Hazel, hesitantly looked behind her, towards the form of a sleeping person. "I know, honey, but I'm worried about Kasumi-chan. The doctor told me that when the baby was delivered, it didn't cry. And now that I'm pregnant, I can't help but be afraid." She worriedly rubbed her belly, and the man, Almond, stole another affectionate kiss. "It'll be all right. We have to go to the doctor and find out what happened to her baby, okay? Actually, I think I should go alone. All this unnecessary stress is unhealthy for both you and the baby." Hazel strengthened her clutch on her husband's arm. "No, I'll go. She's my friend too. I deserve to know. We signed a contract remember? That makes the baby our goddaughter. I'll want to know."_

_Interrupting the moment by clearing his throat with an "ahem", Brock thanked Almond, before going in the room and dragging his brother with him. Once inside, Forrest looked around, and nearly screamed when he saw the person on the bed. "Dude, is that Misty?" "Shh! Can't you see she's unconscious?"_

"_Nii-san, what's going on? And why did you say that we're in another world?"_

_Brock sat down, and asked his brother to close the door, to which the younger sibling acquiesced. "I guess I should start from the beginning. You know that I traveled with Misty and Red, or Ash as you would know, right?"_

"_Yea. I always thought she was a babe and that they'd make a great couple."_

"_Me too, or I thought they would've, anyway. They broke up, but not before Misty had begged for one last day and night with him, which was stupid. She got knocked up." Brock let the words float by and freeze the already tense atmosphere._

_Forrest was alarmed at the sudden news dropped on him like a bomb, and like all youngadults, their imaginations soared far too high for others' liking. "Aniki, please don't tell me you're going to marry Misty and adopt the baby as your own."_

_Brock looked at his younger sibling incredulously, wondering if he should blame the liberal media or weird ero-novels for giving him such an asinine idea. "What?! No! I don't like her like that, and Misty has…well, she has no one, but there's an old friend of hers with brownish hair that's been taking her out on a lot of dates lately, even when she is, or was, pregnant. He's very taken with her. I can't remember what his name was. Rudy? Danny? Georgio?"_

"_Wait, so, let me get this straight. You've been here helping an old friend, not at Pallet Town like I thought you would be seeing another old friend. And what's this contract I keep hearing about from that blonde preggers woman? And you still didn't answer about that dimension thing! I keep getting lost and people claim this place is still Kanto and we're in the capital. This doesn't look like the capital."_

"_Which one do you want me to answer first?" The older Harrison decided to ignore lying, since Forrest already dragged himself into this mess, and he certainly wasn't going to knock his brother out and drag him all the way home to bed to make him think it was all a dream. Better to be truthful than go through all that trouble._

"_Go backwards, from the dimension to the contract to what the hell is exactly going on here!" _

"_Don't yell. Misty just went through an ordeal of delivering a pre-term baby." Brock sighed, rubbing his temple with his hands and surrendering at the stupidity of the moment. "I guess you could say this is Kanto, and this is the capital. It's just not our Kanto or our capital."_

"_So, we really are in another world?"_

"_No. We're in another dimension._

"_What's the difference? Aren't they the same?"_

"_No. But how the hell did you even get here anyway? We made sure to close all gateways when we passed through them."_

_Forrest calmed down some at this point, and began to attentively listen to his older brother. "I stumbled in a path on some woods."_

"_Eh? Never mind, I'll let Blaine experiment with it. Maybe he'll screw it up and the gateway will be closed forever. Anyway, no, they're not. I almost forgot you and the rest worship the Legendaries exclusively, so you don't know about the existence of other worlds. See, a world belongs to any creator-deity, and there are many worlds, like Hyrule, Weyard, Angel Land…you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Brock stuck out a finger in front of his brother, like he was testing the guy on how many fingers he could shook his head furiously, and Brock sighed once more. "Anyway, faith aside, one of those worlds is ours, under Arceus' reign. In a world, or it can be called a realm, there are many realities, or dimensions, and you stumbled on a gateway to a different one. Traversing many different realms is actually a lot harder than going through one's own world's realities, or dimensions. It's not really a parallel or alternate reality, because they'll always cross each other, which is why gateways exist. They can exist from less than a second to many millennia." He looked at the peaceful sleeping form on the bed that looked as if she didn't have a care in the world. "We all ended up going through one when we were young, and tried to find our way back, actually. We ended up here where we met those two, Almond and Hazel."_

"_They're named after nuts?" Forrest raised a brow. Do all the people he encounter always end up having weird names?_

"_Yes, and no, an almond isn't a nut, it's a fruit. It's related to a peach. At the very least, it's not as ridiculous when you're named after a color, metal, or jewel and still have other names."_

"_Wait, so you worship other gods from other worlds? I'm going out on a limb and say you worship the ones that look like pretty girls. Isn't that hubris and blasphemy or something?" _

"_Can I help it if Palutena and Din look like a man's fantasy?" Brock started to go into a dreamy haze, while Forrest developed an anger snap and bashed his brother on the head. "You're still not done explaining!"_

"_Oh, right. It's not really forbidden to worship other gods from different worlds. The only consequence is that if you worship many, there's a chance you might end up in different afterlife than the one from your world."_

"_Okay. I guess I'm still trying to grasp that, but I think I'll stick to just worshiping the Legendaries. Anyway, what's the 'contract' they've been saying all about?"_

"_The Mushoku no Keiyaku?"_

"'_Colorless Contract?'"_

"_It's aptly named. There are fourteen people, selected by Misty herself, to act as legal guardians for her daughter if anything ever happens to her. Fifteen, since you're here. Since you know, we'll have to induct you. If you'd have waited home for me, you wouldn't have gotten a goddaughter in one night. By the way, this dimension is two days fast, so it's July 19 here, or 20, since midnight just passed."_

_Forrest was still trying to grasp at the surreal situation he was in, and how his brother knew so much. He ignored it for the meantime and tried to settle on the mundane issues first to help himself catch up. "I can accept that. I love kids. We have younger siblings, remember?"_

_Brock pated his brother's head. "Yeah. You'll make a great godfather."_

"_Why another world…uh, dimension, though? I heard the Yawa family had enough money to bribe for discretion."_

"_Another precaution. It's one of the conditions in the keiyaku. The medical records will exist here instead of our reality, so it's easier to hide."_

_The current Pewter Gym Leader nodded in understanding. It seemed so tragic yet annoying at the same time. He didn't really know Misty all that well, but he respected her well enough since she was one of his brother's greatest friends, and couldn't help but sympathize with the poor woman. "Does Ash know?"_

_A new voice entered in, surprising them both. "No, but I do."_

* * *

**A concise explanation: skims the surface about some characters and the world they live in. Part examples are the polytheistic trans-realm faith, the people from other worlds and dimensions, and the canon existence of other dimensions where the Legendaries live. It's something like Kingdom Hearts, sans the "fight the darkness" concept, but a better comparison would be Super Smash Bros. where all Nintendo-exclusive characters meet, as well as CLAMP's Tsubasa Chronicles, Cardcaptor Sakura, xxxHolic, and Kobato. Other worlds and inter-world travel are irrelevant to Julia's future adventures except for entertainment purposes. I already made a plotline for her that revolves mainly on her own Pokémon Journey, and any deviation is currently immaterial.**

**That aside, this chapter is different from the previous four; read the preface interpretation as to why. Also, for those who aren't medical savvy, Retrolental Fibroplasia is a real thing, or was until it got renamed to something else. It's a condition that most premature babies are susceptible to, and could cause blindness.**

**Also, I created a monster. The original chapter was just as weird, probably a bit more bizarre. The only reason this was put up instead of the other was actually a flip of a coin, literally. The original chapter actually had Forrest trying to follow his brother after Brock snuck off in the middle of the night, where he found Misty giving birth in, of all places, Mt. Moon. Yes, it was that bizarre. (=3=)**


End file.
